Madagascar Mora Mora

[kittykat23uk]

PA234978 Guibemantis "bicalcaratus" ? by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Across Madagascar, the indri has traditionally been revered and protected by fady (Taboos). However, due to the erosion of these beliefs, the indri is now hunted in some parts.

The greatest threats to the Indri, however, come from habitat destruction and fragmentation due to slash and burn agriculture, fuelwood gathering, and logging. This kind of destruction occurs even in protected areas and sadly, I saw a lot of evidence of this during my trip. The Indri has so far failed to breed in captivity, so protection of its natural habitat is really the only feasible way to save this species from extinction. We watched our group of indris for a long time, until Veronique pulled us away, eagerly wanting to show us a different lemur species.

 

These most beautiful lemurs turned out to be a family group of Diademed Sifakas in an adjacent block of forest to the indris. The Diademed Sifakas are truly spectacular, being one of the most colourful and attractive of all lemurs. They are also called Golden Sifakas, owing to their golden arms and thighs, which changes to slate grey on their backs, head and feet. They have long silky fur and very fluffy white fur surrounding their dark faces.

 

PA235145 Diademed Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

 

 

But what could be even more spectacular than a single Diademed Sifaka, than a Diademed Sifaka with an infant in tow? The infants seem to be born white, with the colour developing later.

 

PA235279 Diademed Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA235297 Diademed Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA235333 Diademed Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

These Sifakas are not native to Andasibe but have been reloacted from Mantadia owing to cobalt mining in the area. Nick Garbutt’s Mammals of Madagascar describe this group as remaining shy and difficult to see. But we had tremedous views and they seemed very confident around the ever present crowd of onlookers. So I would imagine that they have had time to become accustomed to the visitor traffic by now.

 

I must confess that I was smitten by these Sifakas as was happy to spend all morning enjoying their company. The baby in particular proved very entertaining as it practiced climbing and leaping close to its mother.

 

PA235387 Diademed Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

 

[kittykat23uk]

The lemurs are just amazing to see. They look so laid back and seem to embody mora mora, as they chill out in the trees and feed, groom and socialise. But when they decide to go somewhere, boy do they move fast, leaping through the trees with alacrity!

 

By the way, I was hoping to stitch some of the smaller clips together and edit down the vids a bit. Unfortunately, the way I transferred the vids to my netbook in the first half of the trip meant that HD writer doesn't recognise the files any more. We are trying to find a solution..

 

 

Edited December 14, 2018 by kittykat23uk

[kittykat23uk]

PA235429 Diademed Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA235446 Diademed Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

After the crowds began to thin, we returned to the Indris for a second look. A few individuals had descended close to the base of the trees and were now in easy view. At one point the whole troop started calling and to hear that at ground zero was deafening! A Common Jery was also sighted, but next to the lemurs the bird was out-shone by a country mile.

 

PA235453 Indri by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA235476 Indri by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA235532 Indri by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA235549 Indri by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Edited November 25, 2012 by kittykat23uk

[PT123]

Thanks for this Jo, very interesting report. I really enjoyed the lounging lemurs! Also, the butterfly shot on your first installment is amazing.

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks PT123. I've not ID'd the Butterfly yet. Also looks like I neglected to mention that a Tylas Vanga put in a brief appearance on Day 2 in Mantadia, didn't get a photo of this sadly. We also saw a few Madagascar Brush Warblers as well.

 

More Indri vids- if you click on the flower symbol you can select a higher resolution to view them on- all were taken in HD.

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

 

By 12 PM it was getting quite hot so we retired to Hotel Feony’Ala for lunch. Jenita and the driver went to eat by the kitchen, as I was show to a table on the verandah.A Striated Heron was fishing on the river and A Broad-billed Roller was perched overlooking the bank. An America, Kathy asked if the space next to me was free and I was delighted to have some company. We chatted for a while about past and present trips and compared itineraries and sightings. We also had a very odd-looking Thorn Spider drop in on us and a beautiful little Lined Emerald Day Gecko joined us on the next table over as it lapped up some spilt juice.

 

 

 

PA235560 Phelsuma lineata lineata Lined Day Gecko by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA235573 Phelsuma lineata lineata Lined Day Gecko by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

We had agreed to meet with Veronique at 2pm with the plan to look for some birds. We headed out to the Orchid Garden, a small park just up the road from the forest station. There was just one problem. When we arrived the gate was still locked and no sign of anyone to open up. “Another example of Mora Mora!” Jenita and I mused..

 

After searching unsuccessfully for owls in the forest by the side of the road, Veronique ran back to the park headquarters to see what the deal was, whilst we waited patiently for her return. We watched as a Souimanga Sunbird made frequent sorties into some low level vegetation by the roadside, but other than this, very few birds were flitting around.

 

Veronique returned but still no sign of anyone to open up so she suggested we return to the main park. We walked the few hundred yards and re-entered the park, stopping again to look for snakes at the fish farm, still no luck there. We did see a Madagascar Fody, a scarlet red dot high up in a tree and more Souimanga Sunbirds. Then Veronique received a call on her mobile to say someone was now going to open up, so back we trudged to the Orchid Garden.

 

 

PA235608 Madagascar Black Bulbul by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

 

On entering the garden we saw a Striated Heron in some trees by a lake and then we made our way up another steep forested slope. We eventually cane to a birds nest fern in the crown of which sat the most exquisite little bird. The Collared Nightjar, a Madagascan endemic has rich russet tones bejeweled with flecks of black and white. I really didn’t want to disturb the bird and was content to keep a respectable distance for my first few shots, but then Veronique urged me to move into a better position where I could take in the full splendor of this cryptic stunner.

 

 

 

 

She gently held a leaf back so that I had a clear shot, and the bird, not at all perturbed by our presence continued to rely on its cryptic camouflage and it’s “you can’t see me” attitude whilst I snapped off a few shots.

 

PA235629 Collared Nightjar by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA235643 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA235652 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

Veronique pointed out a few orchids for which the park is famous and then we returned to the main park entrance. As we had to get to Ilatsara the next day, our time in Andasibe had sadly come to an end. So after thanking Veronique for her guiding, we left to spend the night at the nearby town of Moramanga.

 

The hotel there was a spit and sawdust type of place in the centre of town. I took a quick shower, the water was cold. Then later on Jenita dropped me off at an empty restaurant where I sat on my own and had dinner, chicken and chips whilst he and the driver ate at a local Malagasy place (I ordered a cup of tea but the milk was like some sort of weird concentrated evap, rather unpleasant).

After returning to my hotel we made arrangements to meet at 04.30 the next day as we still had a long drive ahead of us.

[kittykat23uk]

24^th October Day 4- Old Boys and Wooden Toys

 

I was collected on time and we drove back to Tana passing the spectacular scenery along the way. We changed drivers and vehicles, swapping to a 4x4 for our trip south. Soon afterwards we stopped for breakfast and then were on our way again. We passed a lake where trees were dripping with egrets, but, conscious of our long trip, I didn't ask to stop. Yellow-billed Kite and Common Mynah, Madagascar Bee-eater and Crested Drongo were regular sightings. We stopped briefly to stretch our legs. There were lots of stall holders all selling the same wares, mainly hand-crafted wooden lorries with various logos painted on the sides. Not the sort of thing I would immediately think of as a souvenir from Madagascar, so we soon moved on.

 

We passed a herd of local cattle, zebu, being driven down the road. Then we arrived in Antsirabe where we stopped for an early lunch at about 11.00. As before, Jenita dropped me at a suitable restaurant whilst he and the driver went to eat elsewhere. The restaurant was decked out with local artwork which I enjoyed perusing whilst waiting for my lunch to arrive. As usual, I finished my meal long before Jenita and the driver returned, so I went to wait outside. Unfortunately I was soon surrounded by ladies trying to sell me local sarongs and various bangles and things, as well as a few old boys trying to flog their wooden toys. After trying in vain to get my point across to them that I didn't want to buy anything, I resorted to simply ignoring them. Finally the guys arrived and we were back on the road.

 

PA224938 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

Most tours seem to include an overnight at Antsirabe, which is apparently well-known for its craft markets (which I didn’t see) and then they seem to spend a second full day getting to Ranomafana. But I really didn’t want to waste a night of my short stay in another town, so I had found details of Lemur Forest Camp in Ialatsara, which seemed much more appealing. It’s a lot closer to Ranomafana as well. The idea was that we would do a long drive, but break the back of the journey to Ranomafana that day, and still arrive in time to do a night walk that evening. Then the next day we could do an early morning walk for birds and lemurs there and then drive the shorter distance to Ranomafana during the late morning/early afternoon, arriving in time for an evening walk.

 

We finally got to Lemur Forest Camp at about 15.50. This little rustic camp is set in a remnant of forest. Unfortunately there is significant evidence of recent burning, particularly on the opposite side of the road. I can imagine it must have been pretty scary having your home and only source of income so close to what must have been some pretty intense fires. The accommodation is very similar to the tented camp we stayed at in Lower Sabie, Kruger. Each of the permanent tents had their own balcony set up on a forested slope overlooking the small garden. Before I even got to my tent, I was distracted by a group of Red-bellied Lemurs who were foraging around the outdoor eating area.

 

PA245663 Red-bellied Lemur (Male & Female) by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA245671 Red-bellied Lemur (Male) by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA245678 Red-bellied Lemur (Male) by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA245683 Red-bellied Lemur (Female) by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA245685 Red-bellied Lemur (Male) by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

 

[Game Warden]

Unfortunately there is significant evidence of recent burning

 

This is really saddening: how long before this will all be a memory?

[kittykat23uk]

After dropping my bags off and getting my camera gear together I returned to spend some time with these little characters. The males have little triangular white patches leading from the corner of their eyes to the side of their noses, whilst the females have pale bellies. They seemed rather tame and I was able to get a lovely view of mum and infant. Unfortunately the weather was overcast and it had started to drizzle. As the weather started to close in, I took a walk to see what else I could find. The birds I found were sadly difficult to appreciate in the failing light, and any small birds were just impossible to identify. I did however see Madagascar Blue Pigeon and a pair of White-throated Rails which skulked around a small pond.

 

[kittykat23uk]

Unfortunately there is significant evidence of recent burning

 

This is really saddening: how long before this will all be a memory?

 

Good Question GW. There are some community initiatives to try and reverse the deforestation in some areas, but these are few and far between. If the rate of deforestation continues then there doesn't really seem to be much hope.

 

Here is an example of the extent of the fire damage, this is right near Lemur Forest Camp:

 

 

PA255754 Ex-lemur habitat by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

Edited November 26, 2012 by kittykat23uk

[kittykat23uk]

One of the staff then pointed out three different chameleons all around the same group of bushes as well as a Golden Orb Web Spider.

 

PA245695 Calumma Brevicornis (Short-horned Chameleon) by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA245700 Calumma Brevicornis (Short-horned Chameleon) by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Later on, after it got dark we took a walk where we had brilliant views of numerous acrobatic Brown Mouse Lemurs as they were lured to a “lemur table” with the promise of banana. We spent a long time watching them as they took turns leaping to the table to lap up the smeared banana. Then as we continued around the short woodland trails we encountered chameleon after chameleon, they seemed to be sitting on every leaf and twig!

 

 

PA245713 Brown (Rufous) Mouse Lemur by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA245721 Brown (Rufous) Mouse Lemur by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA245702 Brown (Rufous) Mouse Lemur by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA245735 Parson's chameleon (young one I think) by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA245741 Parson's chameleon (young one I think) by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA245744 Calumma gastrotaenia by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA245750 Parson's chameleon (young one I think) by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA245753 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

After seeing everything there was to see, we headed back to the dining room where we had some dinner. On the menu was duck with some mixed vegetables. Not too bad at all. Then it was off to bed.

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

25^th October Day 5- I don’t do mountains!

I woke early, but the weather had closed in. We were due to take a walk in the forest after breakfast so I had some time for a spot of early morning birding, but the weather was a problem. Still I had a quick walk around the grounds, and found a Brush Warbler, a Brown Emu-tail and a Common Jery. Conscious that it was now getting quite heavy, I decided to return to my veranda where I could set up my scope and video camera under shelter and still have a good view of anything that might fly over. A Purple Heron did just that and then I saw a pair of Madagascar Cuckoo-rollers. First I spotted the rufous female with her speckled plumage and then the spectacular male with his grey belly and head and bottle green shoulders and bronzy-purple back. They glided through the trees, perching occasionally.

 

 

As breakfast time approached, I met Jenita down by the dining room and we could hear a Hook-billed Vanga calling. Sadly it did not seem fit to show itself. After breakfast there was a delay in starting our walk as the guide had not yet arrived on site (mora mora!) We took another short walk around the grounds and returned just as the other couple of guests were gathering. We were then off on our way. I'd foolishly thought we would be walking the trails close to the lodge. But we were led out of the site and down along the main road. Eventually we reached a steep track that seemed to head up to the top of a forested ridge. I took in the view and thought to myself, “You’ve got to be kidding me, this is a freaking mountain!” we began our ascent. Jenita got one of the guides to fashion a makeshift walking stick for me as I found the climb quite a challenge.

[kittykat23uk]

As we reached the top, our guide told us that the Milne-Edward's Sifakas that they had found had already moved on. So we'd need to press on to find another group. We stopped briefly to examine a large Pill Bug. We trekked along the narrow, slippery trails in the dull and drizzly weather until we finally found our first Milne-Edwards Sifaka huddled high up one a bough of a tree. It seemed to be enjoying the weather as much as us. We spent a while with this lemur and I was able to rest and catch my breath, before we were encouraged to move on to find a larger group. It was worth the effort as the second group also had an infant. We watched and followed them for a while and eventually I got some images that I was pretty happy with, despite the weather.

 

PA255763 Milne-Edward's Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255825 Milne-Edward's Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255834 Milne-Edward's Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255840 Milne-Edward's Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255841 Milne-Edward's Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

PA255845 Milne-Edward's Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255846 Milne-Edward's Sifaka by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

 

 

 

 

 

Satisfied that this was the best I was going to get, we began our return hike back to camp. We sighted Pollen's Vanga on the way, but it was too flighty to get a shot of it. Five days in and I had seen all the lemurs I wanted to see thus far. With the promise of bamboo lemurs, and of course King Julian still to find, this was already proving to be a very productive trip. If only we could get a few of the birds to sit still!

 

PA253728 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA253730 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

Since the Lemur Forest Camp didn't offer lunch, we left as soon as we got back and headed on towards Ranomafana. Madagascar Kestrel was seen hovering in a nearby field and several species of egrets were seen. We stopped for lunch at a Malagasy cafe which was swarming with flies, urgh! Suddenly I wasn't feeling very hungry and the bony zebu and rice did nothing to improve my appetite!

 

By the time we arrived in Ranomafana the weather had deteriorated, it was now raining quite persistently. My room was set up a steep set of steps, which I really didn't welcome after the effort of the mornings hike! However the view was spectacular (or would have been if the sun had been shining). The idea of relaxing for a while was quite alluring at this stage, so I didn't mind that we didn't plan to visit Ranomafana until the evening. So Jenita left me to settle in to the hotel and went off in search of our park guide. I had a shower and set to sorting out my growing mountain of images, whilst keeping an eye trained on whatever birds might rock up in the trees near my room.

 

I was keen to emphasise that I wanted to visit a site called Belle Vue where, according to the Mammals of Madagascar guide, there should have been a feeding station where it is possible to see not just mouse and red-bellied lemurs but also Fanaloka and Ring-tailed mongoose. Unfortunately recent restrictions mean that there are no longer night walks within the park itself and so nocturnal viewing is now restricted to the roadside (as it is in Andasibe).

Edited November 27, 2012 by kittykat23uk

[Sangeeta]

Just spent a delightful hour (more, actually) with this fabulous report. I think that video cam purchase you made has repaid you a thousand-fold, Jo. You keep getting better and better at the videography and it has really brought the report alive.

 

Many more lemur and chameleon and other reptile fans now than before you wrote this. Looking forward very much to the rest that's still to come.

[kittykat23uk]

Thankyou,. but I can't take the credit for most of the videography. As well as being my personaly trip organise, gude and sherpa, Jenita ws also a very proactive and competent wildlife camera man!

 

Jenita resurfaced around 6PM and we met our guide. The night walk was similar to the one we took at Ialatsara but with vastly more people. As at Lemur Forest Camp, Brown Mouse Lemurs were easy to see, having been tempted out into the open with the usual banana treat. They did seem more sensitive to the light, so the guides had to keep switching off their flashlights to gain the confidence of the lemurs and then flick them back on when they saw any movement. The area was good for chameleons too and we even found a species of Brookesia clinging to a leaf. A tree frog, Boophis Madagascarensis was also located. But alas no fanaloka, civet or mongoose was seen.

 

 

 

PA255855 Calumma Crypticum -Blue-legged Chameleon by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255858 Calumma glawi (Glaws Short-nosed Chameleon). by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255867 Calumma nasutum Nose-horned Chameleon by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255870 Calumma Crypticum -Blue-legged Chameleon by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255876 Calumma gastrotaenia Short-nosed Chameleon by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255881 Brookesia thieli by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255870 Calumma crypticum Blue-legged Chameleon by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255892 Calumma oshaughnessyi by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA255902 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Still not 100% sure of the IDs of the chameleons..

Edited November 29, 2012 by kittykat23uk

[kittykat23uk]

26^th October Day 6 Biscuits, bamboo lemurs and blooming good birds

 

For once, we got the guide that Jenita was expecting,Diamondra, who seemed to be really good. Ranomafana is known as the place to see ground-rollers. So when we discussed the programme for this day I emphasised that I wanted to prioritise the birding, wanted to be up early and didn't care about skipping breakfast, suggesting that we just grab some biscuits as a snack. We therefore met up at 6 and were at the first site, Vohiparara by 06.30. This proved to be quite a productive site and one that was mercifully flat in comparison to Ialatsara. We first saw a distant Lesser Vasa Parrot, and then our guide tried in vain to locate a flufftail. We did find our first Madagascar Coucal. Then, we located a stonking Rufous-headed Ground Roller in dense vegetation that thankfully responded well to calls, displaying, bobbing up and down, puffing its chest and emitting its distinctive “boo” call. Jenita got me some nice footage of this stunner, but sadly the only photos I managed to get were blurred (so I've lifted one from the video instead). At least this was an improvement on the uncooperative Scaly Ground Roller in Mantadia.

 

 

rufus headed ground roller by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Along with the commonly seen Madagascar Black Bulbul our park guide also located Grey-crowned Greenbul, Madagascar Turtle Dove and then, another Coua! This one was Red-fronted Coua, quite a striking bird, with its red cap and blue war paint around its eye. The bird was initially foraging around at ground level, but shot up into a tree as we approached.

 

PA265910 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

With our limited time, we moved on and returned to the main reserve of Ranomafana. We were joined by a second guide “Lemur Boy” who would act as a spotter as he ran on ahead to look for things as we made our way along the trail. A series of rocky steps lead down to a roaring river cutting a gorge in the valley. Mascarene Martins were resting on the rocks as we crossed the bridge and then we climbed back up into the forest on the other side, heading towards the realm of the bamboo lemurs. We saw more birds, including Long-billed Greenbul, Spectacled Greenbul, White-throated Oxylabes, and a Red-tailed Vanga calling from a high perch. We also had a brief sighting of Nelicouvri Weaver. These new additions added to commoner birds that we'd seen before, such as both Madagascar Green and Souimanga Sunbirds, Madagascar White-eye, Madagascar Magpie Robin, Madagascar Mannikin and Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher.

 

Then we passed a sign indicating that we were entering the territory of the bamboo lemurs and soon afterwards we found our first lemur of the day, Golden Bamboo Lemurs feeding on, what else, but bamboo high up in the canopy. I had to crane my neck to look at them. These compact, densely furred lemurs were first discovered in 1986 and Ranomafana was established in 1991 to protect them. Like most of Madagascar's wildlife, they are endangered with only around 1000 remaining. Each adult lemur eats about 500 g (18 oz) of bamboo per day, which contain about 12 times the lethal dose of cyanide for most other animals of their size. Two other bamboo lemurs can be found in Ranomafana, the Eastern Grey, which we saw in Mantadia, and the Greater Bamboo Lemur, which we sadly did not connect with (not surprisingly as there are reputed to be only two left that are seen on a regular basis).

 

After watching the lemurs, our guide led us down to a deep area of cover in a small valley. Here he pointed out a bird that was on the top of my “must see” list. The beautiful Pitta-like Ground Roller. The bird was every bit as gorgeous as I had expected it to be and it's blue collar practically glowed in the gloom of the under-storey.

 

He enlisted the help of our “lemur boy” to gently manoeuvre the bird into a better viewing position. Even so, the light and cover made it a challenge to photograph, and the shots I managed really don't do the bird justice.

 

Pitta like Ground Roller 2 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Pitta like Ground Roller by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

 

 

 

PA265973 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA265974 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

After spending our time with the Ground Roller, we moved on. We started to walk up another steep trail and as I turned to take in the view I spotted some Red-bellied Lemurs, who were feeding. Huffing and puffing we followed as they moved further up the trail. They stopped to feed and I managed to capture a few nice shots of them. As we stood there another guide at the bottom of the slope asked us what we were watching. For a while she didn't believe that we had found these lemurs. She eventually led her group up to join us.

 

PA265988 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA265990 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA265995 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

 

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

Further on, we then spotted another lemur, this time it was a Red-fronted Brown Lemur. It didn't stick around for long so I only managed to snap off a quick shot of this one. But even so it was nice to see this species in the wild, having spent time with them at close quarters in Vakona.

 

PA265999 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

Then we were back to bird-watching. Our guide had located a Brown Mesite. A very sought-after species, he enlisted the help of several other guides to gently herd the bird towards me. Through their efforts, I managed to get a few reasonably clear shots of this bird, and the bird remained reasonably unconcerned as it strutted through the undergrowth.

 

 

PA266017 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA266018 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

 

We began our return to the lodge as it was now getting on for lunchtime. Over lunch I met some other English-speakers from a mixed group, including a Canadian called Carol. We chatted for a while and they advised that there was a guy near the garden of the lodge who was very proud of a large Parson's Chameleon. I went to take a look after I finished eating as I had a bit of time before our planned return visit to the park. I couldn't see the large chameleon, but found a little tree frog. After asking around a guy appeared a bit later on with the Parson's Chameleon on his arm. Then Carol waved to me and we got chatting about our plans for the afternoon.

 

PA266037 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA266044 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA266046 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

PA266050 Parson's Chameleon by kittykat23uk, on Flickr